Dissent and Utopia: Rethinking Art and Technology in Latin America

Abstract

This paper explores the various ways in which art and new technologies converge in Latin America from a political and social perspective. Through the analysis of a number of art works and projects produced in the last decade in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru we observe different ways of responding to the dilemmas posed by recent history, poverty, exclusion,
gender, migration and ecological problems. The paper will propose a systematization of these art works following three main lines: a) practices that denounce, b) practices that dismantle, and c) practices that propose alternatives. These categories help us to understand the transformations
stemming from the interaction of art, science and technology, revealing the new role adopted by the artists within a ”˜post-autonomous’ practice in the field of art. Ultimately, this systematization will help us to identify new patterns or trends among the dissident voices in Latin America under the conditions imposed by the Neoliberal logic.